Beyond Evacuation: Rethinking Disaster Preparedness for Older Adults

Given the growing frequency and intensity of disasters due to climate change, aging populations face increased risks of displacement and adverse outcomes. This review focuses on the intersection of disaster and aging, highlighting five overarching themes: (1.) vulnerabilities in evacuation and sheltering, (2.) loss of social and care networks, (3.) health and psychological effects, (4.) gaps in structural policy, and (5.) emerging age-inclusive practices. Based on interdisciplinary studies in gerontology, disaster risk reduction, and public health, this article emphasizes how age-related fragility is often intensified by lack of systemic infrastructure, planning failure, and resource limitation. Recommendations include mainstreaming older adults into planning for preparedness, care continuity, developing more age-differentiated data collection, while strategically investing in community-based resiliency models specifically designed with aging adults as the focus. The review concludes by contending that vulnerability to disasters caused by again is not avoidable, but preventable through inclusive policy and design.